If you only read one newspaper article today, then it HAS to be this

[MmeBodyInTheBasement]

Grace Dent on why Michelle Obama is not the most powerful woman in the world.

How did we get to the point in time where being married to a politican makes a woman important? Or being married to a footballer.

The news last week seemed to suggest that 'mother of three' Yvette Cooper's marriage to Ed Balls made her very important.

Grrrrr....

I love this

"I do, however, think there's a sneakier, misogynistic message at play by Forbes when it places Michelle Obama above Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the US House of Representatives (making her, when elected in 2007, the highest-ranking woman in US political history). They're clearly implying that women with whom men are smitten can have a skulduggerous and manipulative influence."

please dear god let that link in bit at the bottom of that article (about a bad advert for his country) be a spoof!!!

If it's not, as ridiculous as a magazines made up list of powerful women is I find that utterly vile.

I think what's a particular PITA about that is that before Obama became president, Michelle was a pretty big hitter in her own field, so to be listed now because of her husband's role, rather than her own impressive CV is pretty bloody depressing. She's no WAG, that's for sure, but is bracketed as such.

Bowbell
I was struck that they always say, "Yvette, wife of Ed Balls" and never "Ed, husband of Yvette"

duh - just realised it' Forbes who I have heard of.

Stupid wanky man sat in office making up a list as he goes along,

I barely see Michelle Obhama on TV at all so does not seem powerful.

However, Sarah Palin seems to be all over TV and leading an entire movement of millions of disaffected 'Tea Party' people without even being elected President yet and US politicians on both sides are running scared. That's power.

BeenBeta
Sarah Palin is also on the list.

I do wonder how they compiled the list. According to Forbes:

When we set out to identify this year's list, we decided it was time to look up and out into the broader culture. Our assessment is based less on traditional titles and roles and more on creative influence and entrepreneurship. These power women have built distinctive companies and brands and championed weighty causes, sometimes through unconventional means; in other cases they have broken through gender barriers.

We divided our power women candidates into four groups: politics, business, media and lifestyle (that is, entertainment, sports and fashion). We ranked the women in each group, and then group against group. Not easy, but that's today's reality: an unpredictable, diverse mash-up of hard power (currencies and constitutions) and dynamic power (audience and audacity).

The only brand that LadyGaga has built up is the her own, and I fail to see which weighty causes she has championed (unless they mean gay rights?).

ahem